Chiang Rai Place guide

If you’re the kind of person who constantly craves adventure and wants to learn about history and culture while you’re out and about, a visit to the beautiful Chiang Rai will be just your thing. Despite being a small city, it has a multitude of wonders to explore to make your stay in Thailand memorable and fulfilling. The relaxing atmosphere, modest prices, and delicious food will have you coming back for more!

See: Chiang Rai’s greatest attractions are its many temples – in different colors. You can visit all the temples below in one day with this Chiang Rai Temples Tour...

• White Temple: Also known as Wat Rong Khun, this architectural masterpiece was built by local artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat in an effort to gain immortality. It was said that he spent nearly THB 40 million to create this masterpiece! 
  
  
• Blue Temple: Snap photos of the striking blue interiors and exteriors at Wat Rong Seua Ten – which, literally translated, means ‘temple of the dancing tiger’. It is said to have been built on the site tigers jumped over the river. 
  
  
• Black House (Baan Dam Museum): A group of around 40 small structures with artwork dating back to the Ayutthaya period. 
  
  

Another popular temple is Wat Huay Pla Kung, known more popularly as Chiang Rai’s Big Buddha (although it is actually a large white statue made to represent the goddess of Mercy). It features a 9-story pagoda that you can climb all the way to the top to view the magnificent Chiang Rai surrounds.

Chiang Rai is also known for a space called the Golden Triangle, where you can see the convergence of three countries: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. Separated only by the mighty Mekong River, which passes through China all the way down to Vietnam, the territory earned a reputation from its opium-growing past. Today, it’s a sight to see by boat and foot, and tourists from all over the world flock to experience its history and culture.

How to get there

Most travelers get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by local bus. This is an easy journey to arrange and shouldn’t take much longer than 3 hours. The bus departs from Arcade Bus Station (Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2) and arrives in the Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1 beside the Night Bazaar. For a comprehensive guide on getting from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, read this!